Patents : Visiting rites

AFTER a year of lobbying, staff at the Patent Ofice in Newport finally won a home visit last month from Ian Taylor, the minister for science and technology. During his trip, Taylor approved the management's corporate plan for the next five years. Civil Service staff posts will be cut from around 1000 to between 700 and 750, with 250 jobs privatised.

In December 1994 the DTI ruled that the Patent Office should privatise its activities "where this was compatible with its statutory role". The first contract has now been awarded, to W. S. Atkins Building Management.

Over the past year the office's trade union co-ordinator Kevin Etheridge has sent nearly 400 letters to the DTI asking for a meeting with the minister. Taylor finally made the trip after 10 MPs voiced their opposition to contracting out after meeting Patent Office staff at the House of Commons.

To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.

To continue reading this article, log in or subscribe to New Scientist

App + web

Web

Smartphone

Tablet

$25.99 - Save 65%

12 issues for $2.17 per issue

with continuous service

Print + web

Print

Web

$28.99 - Save 61%

12 issues for $2.42 per issue

with continuous service

Print + app + web

Print

Web

Smartphone

Tablet

$39.99 - Save 73%

12 issues for $3.33 per issue

with continuous service

Web

Web only

$49.99

30 day web pass

Prices may vary according to delivery country and associated local taxes.